The invention relates to a method for controlling the movement of a robot.
When using robots, particularly industrial robots, there must be an adequate degree of security and safety also in the case of errors, particularly faulty operations. Thus, there is a risk of an operator incorrectly adjusting an axis or programming inadmissible values for the software limit switch outside the operating range of mechanically provided stops or buffers. In both cases a risk arises that on performing a sequence incorrectly programmed in this way, an axis is moved out of the mechanically permitted range, because the coincidence assumed by the control software of the control-internal position with the mechanical position no longer exists. To provide security against such errors and faulty operations, mechanical structures, such as in the form of buffer stops, are fitted to the robot, if the movement of a robot part is to be limited with respect to the parts positioned upstream thereof. Thus, on the robot base can be provided corresponding mechanical buffers for the carrousel movement or on the upper end of the rocker arm mechanical buffers for the further robot arm articulated to said end.
In the case of such errors the robot is subject to a collision or crash, i.e. the colliding member of the robot mechanism moves against a mechanical buffer associated with it and its axis and during the crash the buffer is irreversibly deformed. During this process the buffer may be destroyed and must always be replaced following the crash. During this deformation kinetic energy of the robot is converted into internal energy (heat) and resilience of the robot. It is important to protect the robot, so that the control software triggers a stop reaction. Thus, even with such a serious and exceptional situation, the robot is brought to a stop without damaging its mechanism. Without mechanical damage to the robot elements, the mechanical buffers can only absorb a limited energy. It is necessary to reliably prevent any exceeding of the maximum energy absorbable without damage to the robot elements. Thus, precautions are taken so that in the case of all movements in the error situations described a collision does not lead to damage. Hitherto a combination of maximum load, maximum overhang and maximum speed for the movement about an axis has been used as a basis. These maximum values are determined by the robot manufacturer, so that with the corresponding worst case values tests are carried out to establish up to which parameters it is possible to repeatedly move against the mechanical buffers without damage occurring. It is then assumed that if a malfunction occurs with the user the energy absorption capacity of the buffer is not exceeded and that all the parameters relevant in a crash do not simultaneously reach their maximum. As a result the predetermined maximum axle speed is linked with the maximum load. Even if as a result of its mechanical design the robot could reach higher speeds, this must be rejected by the control software, because damage to the structure cannot be excluded. As a result of the maximum axle speed determined for maximum load and overhang, movements with a small load and small overhang are performed unnecessarily slowly.
Therefore the problem of the invention, whilst avoiding the aforementioned disadvantages, is to provide a method for the control of a robot in which, accompanied by the optimization of the robot operating parameters, particularly low cycle times and the possibility of moving large loads, a destruction of the robot is reliably prevented.
In a method of the aforementioned type, the invention solves the set problem in that kinetic energy of moving robot members (gi, . . . , gixe2x88x921, gi, gi+1, . . . , gn) about an axis (Ai) is limited to the limiting energy absorbable in damage-free manner by a mechanical structure associated with the corresponding axis (Ai).
Thus, the invention comprises the planning of a path movement, accompanied by a speed reduction on the path, so that the physical kinetic energy which, on the collision of an axis or axle with mechanical stops is converted into internal energy, does not exceed a predetermined value.
Thus, according to the invention, the axle speeds are limited under the secondary condition that the energy limits, determined by the loadability of the mechanical structure, speed, load and overhang are respected. The term limiting energy absorbable in damage-free manner means the limiting energy determined by the manufacturer and in particular by tests to the effect that it reliably prevents damage to any robot elements.
According to a preferred development of the invention, the kinetic energy of the robot members (gi, . . . , gixe2x88x921, . . . , gn) of each axis (Ai) to be absorbed by a mechanical structure associated with a corresponding axis (Ai) is limited to the limiting energy absorbable in damage-free manner by the mechanical structure. The energy to be absorbed is that which actually acts on the structure. According to a preferred further development, the kinetic energy is limited as a function of the moving masses and/or the inertia tensor.
This is based on the fact that it has been established that in the case of a crash the entire kinetic energy of the robot does not have to be absorbed, because only the kinetic energy of the impact component on the buffer has to be absorbed by the latter and the member comes to a stop within a short collision time, whereas the remaining robot members can continue to move. Thus, in the case of a collision of the rocker arm, due to its movement about the A2 axis, the robot arm continues to move about its A3 axis. Moreover, during the collision of the carrousel during a movement about the A1 axis, the robot hand continues to move about the A6 axis, if the A1 and A6 axes are on a straight line. The structural unit affected by a collision must consequently only absorb part of the total kinetic energy present in the overall robot system. The energy of a robot member is dependent on the speeds or velocities solely of the joints in the kinematic chain up to and including said member. Thus, the total energy only has to be limited to the extent that the energy to be absorbed by the mechanical structure is effectively absorbed in non-destructive manner by it, i.e. the energy absorption capacity is not exceeded. Thus, on the energy absorbable by the mechanical structure only part of the total kinetic energy has to be limited and can consequently be chosen higher than if it was limited to the value which can be non-destructively absorbed by the structure. Thus, the dynamic limits of the robot can be extended.
Thus, according to the invention, there is a functional, situation-dependent monitoring and planning of the kinetic energy of the robot and optionally boundaries. The axle speed is reduced in state-dependent manner, in that before performing a movement instruction mathematically and whilst taking account of the robot position and the useful or working load, the kinetic energy is determined as a function of the programmed axle speed. Optionally, on exceeding the maximum permitted energy, the maximum speed of the particular axle is correspondingly reduced.
This leads to a use advantage for robot variants as a result of higher working load, arm extension or the like, because the limiting of the maximum axle speeds only takes place in states where in actual fact excessive kinetic energy would arise.